Kissing in the Dark
The Secret Life of the Blues
WKP KENNEDY GALLERY IN THE CAPITOL CENTRE
150 Main St E, North Bay, ON P1B 1A8
July 30, 2024 - August 30, 2024
Regular Gallery Hours:
Tuesday-Saturday: 12:00pm - 4:00pm
Please bring ear buds or headphones and your cell phone or tablet, as each piece has an associated QR Code to take you to the associated song on Spotify. This website aslo inlcludes the YouTube links.
About the Exhibition
Step back in time to an era of liberation with Kissing in the Dark: "The Secret Life of the Blues" a solo exhibition by Fran Hanover that celebrates the bold, brassy, and sometimes downright scandalous women of the early 20th century blues scene. In a time of profound social change, the blues emerged as a soundtrack to rebellion, challenging traditional gender roles and championing women's sexual liberation.
From Georgia White's cheeky "I'll Keep Sittin' On It" to Bessie Smith's unapologetic anthem "Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl," these paintings explore the taboo topics and raw emotions that defined the blues genre. Through their lyrics, these women fearlessly confronted the injustices and inequalities of their time, leaving an indelible mark on music history and feminist discourse.
About the Art
As an African Canadian/American, I had alwasy admired the women who had the fortitude to work, play, write, and perform outside Western Society's conventional, and conservative expectations of our gender roles. The women of the early blues of the 1920's to mid-1930's faced the tyranny of racism and sexism. They were the risk takers who navigated the nearly impenetrable barriers of gender control and societal roadblocks, rising up to sing about these realities and some gaining enormous wealth while doing so. Having finally the ability to shake off the shackles that bound them to conventional relationships and gender values, they told the stories of hurt, passion, triumph, and mastery over their own bodies and desires. Everything old is new again. But everything new needs to take a better look at the old and take note of the following:
“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because, without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.” - Maya Angelou
The women of the blues of the early 20th Century had the courage to make their own seat at the table.
Remember, when it comes to great passion and sex, colour, gender and beauty often play a smaller roles than we think, becuase we really can't tell a difference after dark.
Spotify Link: You Can't Tell the Difference After Dark. - Alberta Hunter
Click on the images below for more information.
Additional pieces not included in this exhibition:
